Imperative Sounds of 2017: The Girls

COSIMA

What seemed to be an “out of the blue” appearance, Cosima’s name went from nothing to something in the blink of an eye. The Peckham born and raised cool gal impressed in December with ‘South of Heaven’ lengthy EP offering a much desired introduction to the songstress you need to know. Armed with a shadowy aesthetic and the ability to dress herself like a goddess, you’d be stupid to miss out on this one.

VÉRITÉ

Kelsey Byrne on the utility bill, New York based dreamboat of a singer/songwriter VÉRITÉ is here to represent indie-pop for the girls. Making waves in the latter half of 2016 with her super-bop rendition of the 1975’s ‘Somebody Else’, Byrne is here to stay. Not one to hold back from proving why she’s just so great, VÉRITÉ has already impressed this year with the recent release of the first insight into her new music with ‘Phase Me Out’. Each of her three EPs has boasted a new found musical sophistication, with ‘Phase Me Out’ offering a a classy realisation that this year was made for her debut album.

KLOE

Be under no illusion from Scottish sensation KLOE’s sweet and sugary vocals, this girl is fiercely uncompromising and grippingly honest – and that’s exactly why we love her. Turning heads, and ears, with debut EP TeenageCraze, the singer has already built up an impressive following online after showcasing her alluring synth pop offerings. It’s an ascent that looks set to continue into 2017. Following recent single releases UDSM and Liability, we’ve learnt the singer isn’t afraid to tackle any topic that is on her mind. Debuting new material at her first ever headline show in London last autumn has proved she has the diversity to go the distance, switching from deliciously upbeat dream pop to harsher and darker electronic tracks, all laced with infectious melodies. With a debut album in the works and more shows planned for 2017, Glasgow’s new pop star will only shine brighter.

ELOHIM

Mystique is a quality that’s often left astray in an industry where everything is handed to its audience on a decorative platter from the get-go; it became clear that things were in desperate need of being shaken up, and who else to take the stand other than the alluring wanderess Elohim. Hidden under a façade in the form of an animal masks and computerised dialect, Elohim finds herself constructing sweet melodies that delve into issues society are still afraid to confront. To say that her collectively miniature back catalogue will take you on a fixating trip to make you feel an upsurge of emotions is one huge understatement, because it’s so much more than that. Allow Elohim to escort you on a hallucinating experience with her music, just like she does us each and every time, which is why we find her overly qualified to owning the title of being the ‘future’ of music.

DAGNY

Guaranteed to better your mood no matter the situation, Norwegian heralding Dagny is here to save modern pop. Making waves with her debut single ‘Backbeat’ (a real banger), Dagny has since gone on to collaborate with the likes of BØRNS and teased at better things with the release of her debut EP; Ultraviolet. There’s a fresh and welcoming feel behind Miss Sandvik’s energetic tones who cites everyone from Tom Petty to Aqua in her influences. It doesn’t get much better than this.

LAO RA

Lao Ra is a Colombian musician who’s striking music is slowly becoming the new It thing to talk about. She manages to blend her Bogota upbringing with this eclectic mix of sounds ranging from glitchy electronics to organic island flavourings, all of which are present on her outstanding EP ‘Jesus Made Me Bad’. Her music videos are also something special about her, she’s able to give a visual to how a song sounds. It’s safe to say that this EP is only a taste of what this star in the making has to offer and 2017 will be the time where she finally shows us.